North Carolina Tar Heel freshman star Caleb Wilson has been sidelined since mid-February with a fractured left hand. There is no doubt that Hubert Davis' squad is simply not the same without the 6-foot-10 forward. From updates that have been provided, it sounds like that Wilson could be eyeing a return against UNC's arch rival, the Duke Blue Devils, on Saturday when the Heels make the short drive over to Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The skill set of Wilson is something that analysts and NBA scouts constantly rave over and he's currently the No. 4 ranked prospect on our FanSided NBA Draft Big Board. However, it is his competitive nature that tends to turn heads and separate him from other players.
Wilson has made it clear he is invested in the program at North Carolina and cares very much about the team's success. For most players of his caliber, college would just be a quick pit stop before the NBA. It is nice to see this level of heart and competitive nature, however it doesn't really make sense for Wilson to take the hardwood on Saturday. Let's take a look at the pros and cons of his potential return.
Another win over Duke could give UNC a higher seed in the March Madness
The first meeting between UNC and Duke was legendary. A corner 3-pointer from senior guard Seth Trimble gave North Carolina the lead with 0.4 seconds, and sent the Dean E. Smith Center into an absolute frenzy.
By losing round one of this unbelievable rivalry, Duke will be locked and loaded, looking for revenge. If Wilson plays and UNC could somehow complete a sweep of the Blue Devils, it would add another major Quad 1 win to their resume. In the first meeting against Duke, Wilson had a team high 23 points to go along with four rebounds and two assists. With another sensational freshman, Cameron Boozer, on the other side, it feels like Wilson is the only player on the Tar Heel roster who has the potential to slow him down.
To be frank, it feels like the only way the Heels come out victorious on Saturday is if Wilson plays. If (and that's a big if), North Carolina could come out on top Saturday they may see themselves jump from a 5-6 seed in the NCAA tournament predictions to a potential 4 seed. That's really it.
With a win over Clemson on Tuesday followed by a Miami victory over SMU on Wednesday, the Tar Heels are locked in as the No. 4 seed in the ACC tournament and will receive a double-bye so what happens against Duke won't change what's ahead of them in their conference tournament.
Playing against Duke risks re-injury for Caleb Wilson
A broken bone of any kind is not an easy injury to recover from. The injury is in Caleb Wilson's non-shooting hand, but returning to full-speed gameplay about a month after the injury seems quick. Wilson will almost undoubtedly be a top five pick in the upcoming NBA draft and if there is any chance at all he is not 100%, Saturday would not be worth the risk of returning. Even as competitive as he is, if Wilson were to have a setback in his professional career because he wanted to play a game that really had no implications (other than rivalry bragging rights) he would have regrets.
Let's say Wilson is not quite 100 percent, feels like he is good enough to return and is fortunate enough to avoid re-injuring his hand. It could still cause problems for Hubert Davis. When Wilson is on the floor, UNC will run their offense through him. If his hand hinders him from being able to go to his left, contest shots effectively and catch passes cleanly, his presence on the floor could be more problematic than helpful.
Wilson's level of talent is so high that he can still be one of the best players in the nation at 70% percent health. However, this may not even be the last meeting between UNC and Duke this season.
With Duke as the No. 1 seed in the ACC tournament and UNC claiming the No. 4 seed, if both schools win their first game of the conference tournament next week, they could meet again in the semifinals on March 13. Anytime we get three North Carolina/Duke matchups in a college basketball season, it's a treat. How sweet would it be to see Wilson make sure he is fully healthy and return for the matchup between the two schools that actually means the most?